An architectural marvel takes its inspiration from Scandinavian and Korean design

Although this Scandinavian-inspired house is beautifully designed, according to its architect, Anik Pearson, the appeal here is the perennial one: location, location, location.

“The real allure of the property is the site. [The original owner] picked the perfect spot 50-feet below the summit of a mountain overlooking the nature conservancy—no house will ever be built across the ridge,” Ms. Pearson said. “It has the best spot, with the best view and climate with the western exposure and breeze from the ridge.”

In fact, this property began as a hunt for the perfect location. According to Ms. Pearson, her client, the current seller —who asked to remain anonymous— asked her to look for the perfect piece of land, within 90 minutes of Manhattan by train, and within 15 minutes of a train station. “I had to draw a huge circle and decide to go west or south or north,” Ms. Pearson said.

The resulting piece of land, which at the time housed a rustic cottage made of firewood, and then the property Ms. Pearson built on it, became a total integration of the indoors and outdoors, to be enjoyed year round. The properties feature outdoor sleeping porches, an outdoor shower, windows and decking, which seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor living.

Stats

The 5,000-square-foot house has four bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, and a powder room off the mudroom. The basement also has three “rough cut” bedrooms and bathrooms, for a potential seven bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms.

Design Pedigree

Ms. Pearson, who has designed properties upstate and in the Hamptons, went through three iterations of the plans with the home’s owner, who pushed her into a more unique, striking design.

The influence of Korean and Scandinavian architecture, which the client was particularly enamored by, shows in the “use of natural materials” as well as “a natural connection to the land and the climate,” Ms. Pearson said. Korean architecture, specifically, focuses on a home’s relationship to its surroundings and the seasons.

One of the most unusual elements of the home is an external ramp. The ramp draws its inspiration from mining and logging structures in the client’s native Washington state, as well as traditional Scandinavian structures, which often have areas where wood is stacked high around the home year round to provide insulation from the elements.